The Big Lottery Fund has announced £9.8 million over the next three to five years to support young people in Northern Ireland, with achievement, learning and Skills for Life featuring high on the agenda
The Young People’s Fund in Northern Ireland will provide funding for projects supporting young people up to 25 years old which promote youth inclusion and target those young people at greatest risk of exclusion and offending.
Projects should aim to:
- Increase participation from young people.
- Promote wider family and community support for young people. Improve young people’s health and well-being
- Increase achievement and learning of young people
The Big Lottery Fund is keen to encourage young people to get involved in developing project ideas and making them happen.
The Programme is divided into two strands:
£5.8 million will be provided for an open competitive grants programme to deliver the health achievement and learning aspects of the initiative. Further information on this programme will be available in September 2005.
£4 million has been made available to appoint an organisation or partnership of organisations to run a small grants programme on behalf of the Big Lottery Fund. Potential applicants should submit a letter of interest to the Big Lottery Fund by 15th of June 2005. The deadline for the return of completed application forms is the 29th of July 2005. A briefing event for organisations interested in becoming an award partner will be held at the Big Lottery Fund Belfast office on the 10th of May 2005. To book a place, contact the Information Team before 6th of May 2005.
Further details on the Young People’s Fund in Northern Ireland can be obtained by contacting the Information Team on 02890 551455 or enquiries.ni@biglotteryfund.org.uk. You can also access application forms and find out more from the Big Lottery fund website.
